Remote control for transmissions



Aug. 29, 1939.

c. A. CHAYNE REMOTE CONTROL FOR TRANSMISSIONS Filed March 14,1938 5Sheets-Sheet 1 29, 1939. 'c. A. CHAYNE 2,170,794

REMOTE CONTROL FOR TRANSMISSIONS Filed March 14, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Zsnnentcr (aw/[seawz Aug. 29, 1939. c, CHAYNE 2,170,794

REMOTE CONTROL FOR TRANSMISSIONS Filed March 14, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Zinnentor f axe/wan? f Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Charles A. Ghayne, Flint, Mich., assignor to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a, corporation of Delaware ApplicationMarch 14,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to remote control means for the change speedmechanism of a motor vehicle.

An object of the invention is to provide manually operable means tocontrol the change speed mechanism which shall make it possible toeliminate the objectionable shift lever projecting through the floor ofthe compartment occupied by the operator and one or more passengers.

Another object is to provide a manually operable lever on the steeringcolumn and adjacent the steering wheel together with mechanical connections therefrom to the movable members of the change speed mechanism.

Other objects include efficiency in operation and economy inmanufacture.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows in perspective a part of a motor vehicle having myinvention applied.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away and in section throughthe upper end of the steering column and adjacent parts.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation mostly broken away and in section at thelower end of the steering column.

Figure 5 isa section on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the change speed housing, the top beingbroken away to show internal mechanism.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a section on line l0l0 of Figure '7.

Figure 11 is a section on line II--Il of Figure '7.

Figure 12 is a section on line I 2-I2 of Figure 7.

The change speed housing is identified by numeral I 5. It housesconventional gearing which need not be described in detail. It includesa sleeve l1 axially slidable on but nonrotatable relative to the outputshaft 21. This sleeve has external helical splines as shown. Axiallyslidable on the splines of sleeve I! is a gear I9. Figure 9 shows sleeveI! in its neutral position. If moved to the left from the position shownits clutch teeth 2| engage clutch teeth 23 on the input shaft 25 so thatthe input shaft 25 drives the output shaft 21 directly inasmuch assleeve I! is not rotatable on the driven shaft as explained above. Inorder that the clutch engagement may occur only when the shafts 1938,Serial No. 195,708

25 and 21 are rotating at the same rate there is used conventionalsynchronizing means identified by numeral 29. When sleeve I! is moved tothe right from its neutral position a second synchronizer 3| andcooperating teeth 33 on the sleeve end 35 on a gear 31 serve to lock thegear 31 to the output shaft. Thereupon the output shaft is driven fromthe input shaft at a reduced speed by means of gears 39, 4| and 43, 31,of which gears 4| and 43 are on a countershaft 45. Gear I9, as beforestated, is slidable but non-rotatable on sleeve ll. As shown by Figure 9it is in its neutral position. If moved to the left from the positionshown it meshes with a countershaft gear 41 whereupon a low speed driveis obtained through gears 39, 4! and 41, I9 as will be readilyunderstood. Gear 41 is elongated and is in constant mesh with gear 49 ofan independently mounted double idler, the other gear of the idler beingmarked 5|. If gear 19 is moved to the right in Figure 9 from its neutralposition it meshes 5|. Reverse drive is then obtained through gears 39,4|; 41, 49; and 5|, H].

For the purpose of making the required movements of sleeve l1 and gearIS the following construction is employed. The removable top 53 of thegear housing is secured by fastening means 55. Beneath this top or coverand adjacent one side of the gear housing is a supporting plate 51 bestshown in Figure 8. This plate is secured by fastening means 59.Registering openings in the cover 53 and plate 51 rotatably supportspindles BI and 63. spindles extend above the top 53 where they carrylever arms and 61. Lever arms 69 and H extend from between the cover 53and the plate 51 part way across the interior of the gear housing asshown in Figure 7. Lever 69 has three notches I3 to receive a ball 15pressed by spring 11 seated in the cover 53, this constructionconstituting the equivalent of a well-known detent device forresiliently holding the lever arms in positions corresponding to therequired positions of adjustment. This expedient is best illustrated byFigure 10. Lever arm 69 is extended beyond the region having the threenotches and is formed at its end with a depending portion 19. Thisportion, best shown in Figures 9 and 10 rotatably supports a spindle 8|having at its lower end a lug 83 received within an annular channelformed in the sleeve l1. It will now be clear that the external leverarm 65 may be rotated to similarly rotate the inner lever arm 69 from amiddle position wherein These the sleeve I1 is inoperative to endpositions where the transmission is in high speed or in second speed. Ina similar manner lever H is provided with three notches 13, the notchesbeing adapted to receive spring detents like those associated with lever69, the notches being similarly marked. The end of lever 1| beyond thenotches rotatably supports a stem 85, the stem being forked at its lowerend to embrace gear I9. By rotation of the external lever arm 61internal lever arm II is enabled to position gear I9 in its low speedposition, its neutral position, or in its reverse driving position.Adjacent and between spindles 9i and 63, the levers 69 and H are formedwith recesses 81 and 89 respec' tively. These recesses aredirectlyopposite each other and in registration with an opening in thewall 9I formed on plate 51 when the two. levers are in their neutralpositions. When so positioned a ball 93 in the opening of wall SM isreceived partly in each lever recess. When one or the other of thelevers is rotated the ball is pushed from the recess of the rotatedlever and deeper into the recess of the unmoved lever. This deviceserves as the conventional locking expedient to prevent the rotarymovement of the two levers simultaneously.

The uppermost end of the steering post 95 is equipped with a handsteering wheel 91. The post 95 is housed within a tubular steeringcolumn 99. The column extends to a lower end I93 near the frame member I95. To the upper end of the column is secured a hollow bracket I91 by asuitable fastener I 99. The bracket is extended radially from the columnas at I II and recessed at I I3 to form a rotary bearing support for aspindle II5. A hollow shaft H1 is secured to the spindle II5 by a boltH9 and a nut I2I. A bracket I23 is held by a lower part I25 embracingthe tubular shaft H1 and an upper arm secured to the shaft II1 by theaforesaid fastening means I I9. Rigidly secured to the bracket I23 is atubular lever I21. The lever terminates with a grip I29 of rubber or thelike. livithin the lever I21 are guides I3! and I33 for a reciprocablerod I35 terminating in a grip I31 which may be of rubber or the like.Rod I35 has a head I39 and an anti-rattling spring I4! is locatedbetween the head and the guide I3 I. A bell crank lever I93 is pivotedat I45 within an opening of the bracket I23. One arm I41 of the lever isin contact with the head I39. Reciprocable through the hollow shaft II1is a rod I49. A spring I5I is located within a housing I53, the springengaging the housing and a head on the end of rod I49. The housing isextended upwardly and partially embraces the second arm I55 of the bellcrank lever. By this means the head of the rod I49 and the second arm ofthe bell crank lever are resiliently held in contact. At the lower endof the steering column is a bracket I 51 suitably secured thereto bymeans of a cap I59 and locking means I9I. The bracket journals the lowerend of the tubular shaft II1, the bearing surface being identified bynumerals I63 and I 35. Within the lower end of the tubular shaft I I1the shaft I49 is forked and to the furcations I61 is pivoted by pin I99a cross head I1I. A spring I13 is placed between a cap I15 threaded intothe extreme end of the bracket I51 beyond the bearing I63 and anabutment I69 engaging the cross head. As shown by Figure 4 the bracketis hollow and forms a recess I11 between the bearing portions I63 andI35. Rotatable about the shaft II 1 and within the recess I11 are hubsI19 and IBI of bevel gears I83 and I85 respectively. Secured to thebracket I51 at I81 adjacent the opening to the recess I11 is a hollowcap I89. The enclosure formed jointly by the recess I11 of the bracketand the chamber of the cap I89 houses the bevel gears I83 and I85. CapI89 is formed at I9I to serve as a journal bearing for a shaft I93, thelatter being tubular and formed with beveled gear teeth I95 to mesh withthe teeth of bevel gear I83. Within shaft I93 is a solid shaft I91having at its end a bevel gear I99 in mesh with bevel gear I85. Theshaft I91 may be centered by a stem 29I formed on the bracket 151 andpiloted into an opening in the end of the shaft. Suitable bearingsleeves may be used for the shafts and such sleeves are shown on thedrawings. Tubular shaft I93 projects beyond the bearing therefor in thecap I89 and to its projecting end is secured the hub of a lever 293.Shaft I91 extends beyond the end of shaft I93 and carries securedthereto the hub of a lever 295.

The cross head III is longer than the diameter of the tubular shaft H1and projects through slots I39 therein and also into notches I88 0r I90of the hubs I19 and I 8| respectively so that one or the other of thebevel gears may be made rigid with the shaft II'I. Normally spring I13holds the cross head I'II upwardly and locks the hub I8! to the shaftII'I.

Forks 291 of a link 289 are connected to lever 295. The other end ofthis link is connected at 2II to the lever 65. Forked ends 2I3 of a link2 I5 are connected to lever 293. The other end of link ZIE is connectedto the lever 61 at 2I1.

In the operation of the device it will be evident that shaft II1 may berotated by the hand lever I21 in either direction about its longitudinalaxis. In so rotating the hand lever, and because spring I13 serves tolock the hub I8I of beveled gear I85 to the shaft III, the beveled gearI 99 rotates shaft I91.

The rotation of shaft I91 operates to rotate lever arm by means of thebefore mentioned connecting linkage. By this means sleeve I1 is shiftedto its neutral position or to positions for driving in high speed or insecond speed. If the button I 31 is pushed inwardly it operates throughthe instrumentality of rods I35 and I49 to move the cross head I1Idownwardly against the tension of spring I13. This releases hub I BI andlocks the hub I19. Thereafter a rotation of the hollow shaft II1 aboutits axis by means of the hand lever I21 functions in an obvious mannerto make shifts to low speed, to neutral or to reverse. The lockingdevice 93 insures the rocking of but one of the levers 69 or H at onetime. The detents resiliently hold the levers in positions ofadjustment.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle change speed mechanism and a steeringcolumn, a tubular shaft journaled for rotation adjacent said column,levers adjacent said change speed mechanism movable to effect selecteddriving ratios, manually operable means to rock said tubular shaft, aplurality of first gears rotatably mounted on. said tubular shaft,cooperating secondary gears adapted to be rotated by said first namedgears, mechanism whereby rotation of said secondary gears moves saidlevers, means within said tubular shaft and including a part movablelongitudinally relatively to said tubular shaft to look a selected oneof said first named gears to the hollow shaft and means adjacent saidmanually operated means to move said movable gear locking means.

2. In combination with a vehicle change speed mechanism and a steeringcolumn, a tubular shaft journaled for rotation adjacent said column,levers adjacent said change speed mechanism movable to effect selecteddriving ratios, manually operable means to rock said tubular shaft, aplurality of first gears rotatably mounted on said tubular shaft,cooperating secondary gears adapted to be rotated by said first namedgears, mechanism whereby rotation of said secondary gears moves saidlevers, means within said tubular shaft and including a part movable1ongitudinally relatively to said tubular shaft to look a selected oneof said first named gears to the hollow shaft and means adjacent saidmanually operated means to move said movable gear looking means, all ofsaid gears being beveled gears, the gears mounted to rotate on thetubular shaft having slotted hubs and said movable gearing locking meanscomprising a cross head extended through slotted parts of said tubularshaft and into one or another of said slots of said hubs.

3. In combination with a vehicle change speed mechanism and a steeringcolumn, a tubular shaft journaled for rotation adjacent said column,levers adjacent said change speed mechanism movable to effect selecteddriving ratios, manually operable means to rock said tubular shaft, aplurality of first gears rotatably mounted on said tubular shaft,cooperating secondary gears adapted to be rotated by said first namedgears, mechanism whereby rotation of said secondary gears moves saidlevers, means within said tubular shaft and including a part movablelongitudinally relatively to said tubular shaft to look a selected oneof said first named gears to the hollow shaft and means adjacent saidmanually operated means to move said movable gear looking means, saidlast named means comprising a first rod reciprocable through saidmanually operable means, a second rod extending axially through saidtubular shaft and connections between said rods whereby thereciprocation of one reciprocates the other and said movable gearlocking means carried by the second rod.

4. In combination with a vehicle having change speed transmission and asteering column, a plurality of brackets carried by said column, atubular rockshaft journaled for rotation in said brackets, a manuallyoperable lever rigid with the upper end of said tubular shaft, beveledgears rotatably mounted upon the lower end of said tubular shaft,connections whereby rotation of said gears may change the ratio of saidchange speed transmission jointly reciprocable rods within said manuallyoperable lever and said tubular shaft, said tubular shaft havingdiametrically opposite slots adjacent said beveled gears and saidbeveled gears having slotted hubs, a cross head within said tubularshaft, extending through the slots thereof and movable axially to engagewithin the slot of the one or the other of said beveled gears, saidcross head being carried by the reciprocable rod of the tubular shaft,and a manually operable terminal button carried by the end of the rodwithin the manually operable lever.

5. The invention defined by claim 4, together with yieldable means tobias said cross head into engagement with a selected one of said gears.

6. The invention defined by claim 4, together with a bell crank pivotedat the junction of said tubular shaft and said manually operable leverand having its arms in contact with the adjacent ends of said rods.

CHARLES A. CHAYNE.

